Percy Jackson

My mother could not have side eyed me harder when she heard Tyson mention Annabeth as a date of mine.

She did it even harder, though, at dinner ten minutes later.

"Yeah, why didn't you bring your girlfriend with?" Triton asked me, of course feeling obligated to give me shit. "You guys are a cute couple."

You don't have to bring it up, you know?

"Yeah!" Tyson agreed, and I know that mentally, Dad was also agreeing. "you and Annabeth good. I miss Annabeth."

"Yeah, why don't you invite her out?" Dad suggested, and I know he was just trying to be nice, but I didn't like that idea.

I just hummed uncomfortably. I didn't like it.

"I mean, you don't have to," Triton was behind the idea. "But why not, you know? She is your girlfriend."

"Mmm..." I responded, trying to figure out how they didn't get the message almost a year after we broke up. "I mean she's not, but like, I guess I can see if she wants to visit for a day or something."

The tension that immediately came of that made me really anxious and just want to hyperfix on anything that wasn't Annabeth.

I felt Grover sort of play footsie with me being he was across from me, a way of letting me know that it's alright. It's okay.

I wish I had half the confidence that he does.

"Oh," Dad broke the silence, "alright."

He kept it at that, though, which was fine. It seemed like he wasn't going to go into it. Not here, at least.

Tyson didn't get the idea.

"Why?"

I shrugged.

"Just... Didn't work out," I responded, not wanting to go into it because while it wasn't a bad break up for either of us, I feel really shitty about not giving her a decent reason. I just told her that I need space to like, get used to everything and just life again and so I wanted to be done and she was okay with it.

Really it was because I'm gay.

But I'm still not really ready to come out.

"It wasn't like it was a bad breakup," I tried to justify it. "we're still friends. We just weren't that good of a couple."

"It happens," Triton was quick to move on, thank gods. "you'll get over it sooner or later, assuming you aren't already. Find somebody else. You're not even in college yet, so who knows what'll happen."

The conversation was left at that, thank the gods. Mainly Dad. He switched the topic to the food.

As is tradition, we had a little movie marathon after that. After the second movie, I was kind of out of it, so I figured I'd go get ready for bed. Grover was taking a shower, I think. He went to the bathroom and the water was running.

My anxiety has just been acting up all day, I guess. Which I feel is sort of fair. But after the whole Annabeth thing at dinner... I don't know if the tension is there or if it's just me.

A few minutes after I got in here and was just sitting on the bed, my bag at my feet, trying to control my anxiety, Dad knocked on the door and came in. Which was a let down, because I was hoping it'd be Grover.

Grover's been really nice, not pushing me too hard when it came to us. He's been okay keeping it under the radar at camp and away from our friends and just letting me get through what happened and advancing our relationship at my own pace.

"Hey, kiddo," Dad said, and I looked over to him, a little off my guard. "how you feeling? You seem a bit more anxious again, are you going to be alright?"

I just nodded my head.

"Mhm," I tried to assure him. "just anxiety and stuff. I'll be fine."

"You sure?" He asked, concerned. Which I didn't like to hear. "you seemed to get a lot more anxious as dinner went along and after that. It wasn't because of the conversation about Annabeth, was it?"

I shrugged.

"Sorta."

His expression dropped.

"Aw, I'm sorry," but at least he apologized for it. "I guess I didn't think that's how you'd respond."

He paused for a second.

"Is there somebody else that you didn't want to bring up because Tyson was so bent on Annabeth?"

Shit.

I shrugged. Which is an amazing response to a yes/no question.

"Percy?"

"I— I don't know," I insisted, slightly frustrated. "Okay? You guys were so focused on Annabeth, I just... Didn't want to make it weirder than it was after I said we broke up. Plus Tyson... Yeah."

He sat down next to me and I saw his intention to like, pat my back. Which, I appreciate the intentions behind it.

But he was sitting even just a little too close for comfort.

"Mmm, please, don't." I requested, scooting away a little bit. I felt a little guilty, but my levels of anxiety beat that. "Sorry, I just... I know it's supposed to be comforting, but it's not."

"Oh, sorry," Dad responded, pulling away. "I should have thought about that. Um..."

It was silent for a second.

"If you want to tell me anything," he assured me. "I won't tell anyone else. Tyson, your mom, Zeus, nobody. I'm not going to force you to, but if you want to, alright?"

I nodded my head, slightly relieved.

"Yeah, I sort of figured," I told him and sighed, trying to release the knot in my chest.

Just tell him.

"So if there's anything you need, I'll be in the next room over, alright?"

And when he stood up, I panicked because we had this whole thing but I didn't actually say anything.

"Wait, Dad!"

My dad turned back to face me.

"Hm?"

So I just kind of let it happen. I couldn't stop it now.

"I'm gay," I just put it out there, overdriving my anxiety. If I wait until I'm not anxious, it'll never happen. I'm anxious all the time, it seems like. "That's like, why we broke up. She doesn't know, but like, yeah. I'm not out at camp yet."

Dad smiled as I tried to relax a bit more.

"There's nothing wrong with it, kiddo," he assured me, which was nice to hear from him, because he kind of understands? He's definitely been with guys before. Tyson had two dad's, and then his dad died apparently. That's what he told me when we went to school together. "Trust me, nothing."

He thought for a second.

"Does Grover know?"

For being like, old as time, my dad's actually pretty smart, wow. He's figured me out.

"Yeah, he found out like, a long time ago." I explained. "When we went to school together, he's always known."

The look he gave me kind of gave away that he knew Grover's bi. And we're close.

"Percy?"

"What?"

"Are you and Grover dating?"

Embarrassed, all I could do was smile and shoot finger guns in confirmation.

I'm the worst.